Fetters Mill Bridge Will Re-Open with Temporary Fix Within Two Weeks

Montgomery County officials have announced they are moving forward with a plan to open Fetters Mill Bridge within the next two weeks.

Engineers will place wooden beams underneath the bridge that will allow cars to travel over Pennypack Creek. The repairs will be restricted to a three-ton weight limit that will allow one car to travel over the bridge at time. No trucks, buses or emergency vehicles will be permitted with the temporary fix.

“I am thrilled beyond belief," Lower Moreland Township Vice President Jill Blumhardt said. "We’ve been trying to get it fixed since October. This is a solution that makes sense.”

With the temporary fix, the bridge will be inspected every six months to ensure the safety of the residents.

The Department of Assets and Infrastructure examined the historic bridge and determined this is the best possible fix for the time being. The county will still continue the complete overhaul process, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2014.

“There is no guarantee that this repair will keep the bridge open until construction starts in 2014,” Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro said in a statement.

The county closed the bridge in late October due to structural deficiencies and it’s caused detours in Lower Moreland Township for the last five months.

“Traffic is so crippling because Inverness is out too,” Blumhardt said.

The Fetters Mill Bridge was built in 1883 and last rehabilitated in 1977. According to Bridge Hunter, the Superstructure condition and the Substructure condition each received a ‘poor’ rating. The Appraisal was listed as ‘Structurally deficient’ as of 2008. Montgomery County’s Department of Roads and Bridges have also classified it as “having outlived its useful life.”